Cosplay Royale
by Akira Maruyama
Summary: It was just a typical anime convention for Keiichi, when he suddenly realizes that he and the other attendees are trapped in a program named “Cosplay Royale”.  There can only one winner in this sadistic plan to decimate the otaku population one survivor.
1. Introduction

_**COSPLAY ROYALE**_

Based on the novel _Battle Royale_ by Koushun Takami

Akira Maruyama

--------------------------------------------

**DISCLAIMER**

-I am very sorry but I do not own _Battle Royale's_ plot or any of the third-party characters referenced in this, except_Axis Mundi._

**OVERVIEW**

It was just a typical anime convention for Keiichi Amakura, when he suddenly realizes that he and fifty other attendees are trapped in a program codenamed "Cosplay Royale". There can only one winner in this sadistic plan to decimate the otaku population,... and that means only one can survive.

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:**

-This is **not a script format story**. The only part that is in such format is the Introduction.

-The only thing that makes this a fanfiction is the fact that it has the same plot as _Battle Royale_. All characters are original.

-This is meant to be somewhat corny in the beginning. This also contains possibly disturbing, comedic, dramatic, etc scenes.

-It is a long story, so please bear with me, ha-ha.

-I am very sorry but I am a horrible writer.

-The #'s indicate footnotes. So, if there is a word you do not understand and it has a # after it, please check the footnote section at the bottom. Thank you!

-Please read and review. This is my first fanfiction of this kind so I am very terrible at it.

Let's begin, shall we?

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"Man is the only animal that deals in that atrocity of atrocities, War. He is the only one that gathers his brethren about him and goes forth in cold blood and calm pulse to exterminate his kind. He is the only animal that for sordid wages will march out...and help to slaughter strangers of his own species who have done him no harm and with whom he has no quarrel. ..And in the intervals between campaigns he washes the blood off his hands and works for "the universal brotherhood of man"--with his mouth."

-Mark Twain, _What is Man?_

**INTRODUCTION**

Date: 7 June 2008

Time: 21:46 - 21:55

Location: SECT 8, RM 102

Subject: Operation CR-1; Recording

**The following transcript is confidential. Public viewing of it is strictly prohibited. Failure to comply with this will result in immediate persecution from the government. (CODE:CC2604)**

-Start of Recording-

WATANABE: "So, you're the new kid, right?"

SATO: "Ah, yeah."

WATANABE: "Ha-ha, okay. Just sit yourself down right over there. Sorry for the mess. All of the papers scattered here are, well, the information of all of people enrolled in this program."

SATO: "Thanks."

-brief pause-

WATANABE: "So you know what to do, right?"

SATO: "Eh… Well, I'm not that clear of it myself."

WATANABE: "Figures. The people here recruiting workers are so confidential here, sometimes they even forget to tell them what to do! But since you decided to participate in managing this program, you know what it's about, huh?"

SATO: "An event that deals with the annihilation of otaku#..., called 'Cosplay# Royale'? I'm sorry, none of this information is publicized, so it was a burden to even find out that a program was going to occur in the first place."

WATANABE: "Meh, you got the basics though, good job. But yeah, its codename is 'Cosplay Royale'. Hardcore otaku are carefully picked to be invited to a typical anime convention, called 'AMG International'. Then we'll lockdown the place and force them to kill each other until only one survives, ha-ha!"

SATO: "And we're doing this because-"

WATANABE: "The world is a disgusting place, new guy. Filthy with all of these geeks who waste their time obsessing over fictional characters. I mean, look at the Akihabara# district. Perfect little place… full of beautiful electronics. Then those damned otaku came and all of the sudden it's not an "Electric Town", but a "Geek Town"! If we just get rid of them little by little, then maybe the society won't be as screwed up! Simple as that!"

-brief pause-

SATO: "I see…"

WATANABE: "What, you don't like it? Regretting your job already? You have this weird look on your face."

SATO: "No, it seems interesting. How do I contribute to this program… To my occupation?"

WATANABE: "Aha… Nothing much. The hardest thing you have to do here has already been dealt with: getting this job. How'd you find about this anyway? Hacking the system?"

SATO: "How'd you know?"

WATANABE: "Eh, it's what everyone does nowadays. Not like you got caught or anything, heh… Oh, so anyways, about your job. We're just setting up the event, and then watching the show. We'll have cameras installed and stuff, so once the program starts, we can sit back and relax in this office, and watch the otaku kill each other. And you better appreciate it, since the government doesn't publicize this kind of stuff. Hard to find on the Internet too, even on those sites like _YouTube_# and _LiveLeak_#, ha. In fact, why don't you help me a bit now? I'm just looking over some of the profiles and approving them. I'll just read them out for you. More convenient that way, if you know what I mean."

SATO: "Sure."

WATANABE: "Let's see… Uh… 'Yuki Hasegawa'. Pretty name. Age is 16. Her profile says she's cursed with some kind of illness. Also a 'death god'. Huh. Seems like a good little otaku to add to the program roster. Whaddya think, new guy?"

SATO: "Illness? Wouldn't that make her a weaker opponent? She might have a disadvantage."

WATANABE: "Hey, that just means she'll get killed easier, right? Less otaku in the world, the better. This game wasn't made to be fair, you know."

SATO: "All right."

WATANABE: "So, approved! This gets fun after awhile, trust me. Next one, next one,… 'Miku Hara'. Age 17. There are so many girl profiles in this pile, it's pretty funny. Didn't know there were so many female geeks out there. Hm? This paper feels so thick… Oh, no wonder, there's another profile attached to this. Whose is it? 'Midori Hara'? So these two girls are twins? Ha, that makes this program even more exciting, right?"

SATO: "Hm? Why?"

WATANABE: "'Why'? Do you even need to ask? Like I said before, Cosplay Royale means that all otaku fight to the death until _only_ one survives. Say for example, uh… these Hara twins are the only otaku left in the event. Eventually, they're gonna have to face off against each other until one dies. If not, the Program won't end. That's part of the entertainment, you see? Friends and family can become enemies, enemies might join with their rivals,… In the end, these otaku won't know who to trust, ha-ha!"

SATO: "Ah, yeah. That's true. Then we'll approve Miku and Midori Hara?"

WATANABE: "I'm already one step ahead of you, kid. Approved! Now let me get the other paper… Ah, here it is… 'Natsuki Kriemhilde'. Age 11. Another cursed one? Oh wait, this time the curse involves sadistic behavior. [laughs So I guess she's just going to go psycho on everyone[laughs Approve or not?"

SATO: "I think she should be approved. I never knew yangire existed."

WATANABE: "Yan-gee-what?"

SATO: " 'Er… 'yangire'. A girl who seems nice but usually turns berserk or exhibits what you called 'sadistic behavior.' It's a term used by otaku…"

WATANABE: "Jeez, new guy, are _you_an otaku or something?"

SATO: "N-no… I used to have friends who were otaku in high school. Since I was around them, I learned a bit of their jargon."

WATANABE: "If your friends were otaku, then how come you joined this 'Anti-otaku' thing? You knew that we're selecting those kinds of people to kill each other, so why'd you want this job?"

SATO: "Well… Truthfully, I joined this… Eh… I just wanted to have fun."

WATANABE: "Yeah, typical response. You're just like the rest of them. I came here to do the same thing, new guy. 'To have fun.'"

-brief pause-

WATANABE: "So, how about we look at the next one? 'Keiichi Amakura'… Age 17... Seems very ordinary. But you never know, he might have some secret powers or something. I don't know about these kids nowadays. When I was their age, I-"

-End of Recording-

_No suspicious content was detected in this selected transmission._

_-------------------------------_

**Footnotes**

# cosplay - "costume play"; the Japanese art of dressing up, esp. anime, manga, and game characters

# otaku – an over-obsessive fanatic, usually fantasizing over anime, manga, or games

# Akihabara - popular district in Japan; known as "Akihabara Electric Town"; due to its supply of electronics

#_YouTube_ - a popular web site that allows people to post their own videos on the Internet

#_LiveLeak_ - a web site that also contains videos of explicit content, such as suicides and violence


	2. Entrance

_**COSPLAY ROYALE**_

Based on the novel_Battle Royale_ by Koushun Takami

Akira Maruyama

* * *

**DISCLAIMER**

-I am very sorry but I do not own _Battle Royale's_ plot or any of the third-party characters referenced in this, except _Axis Mundi._

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:**

-This is **not a script format story**. The only part that is in such format is the Introduction.

-The only thing that makes this a fanfiction is the fact that it has the same plot as_Battle Royale_. All characters are original.

-This is meant to be somewhat corny in the beginning. This also contains possibly disturbing, comedic, dramatic, etc scenes.

-It is a long story, so please bear with me, ha-ha.

-I am very sorry but I am a horrible writer.

-The #'s indicate footnotes. So, if there is a word you do not understand and it has a # after it, please check the footnote section at the bottom. Thank you!

-Please read and review This is my first fanfiction of this kind so I am very terrible at it.

------------------------------------------------------

0. Entrance

It was only a matter of gazing outside and viewing the sidewalks, coagulated with people adorned in eccentric clothing as if they had leaped from a fantasy novel, to find out that an uncustomary event was taking place. Some wore blatantly fake cat ears on their heads with limp tails flailing about as they walked, while others had noticeable headbands tied around their foreheads. One girl with an uncomfortably-looking vest and incredulously short pants clenched her arms tightly to keep herself warm from the misty, cold morning air. The streets were bustling with heavier traffic than usual, with the majority of the vehicles heading towards one direction: the city's main convention center. Even if this center was to be compared with its neighboring skyscrapers and various elongated buildings, it would still possess a unique significance due to its incredible size and aesthetic design. Some rumored it to be greater than the Tokyo Big Sight#, but that was never confirmed to be fact.

There were three main buildings bordering the center from the back and the sides. The front, however, consisted of two grand architectural columns that supported a noticeable red banner with "Anime Manga Game (AMG) International Convention 2008" printed in a colorful, attractive text. This entrance area was the only portion that wasn't blockaded somehow. The rest of the front was protected by sturdy gates that could possibly be impassable to even the most clever and fit character. A line of girls stood outside the entrance of the convention, costumed in identical maid wear. Their attempts to greet every attendee with a "Welcome back, Master#" and a bow proved futile due to the fact that thousands were pouring in at once. Despite this, they still continued to mindlessly act in a robotic state of lowering and raising their heads simultaneously. To most attendees, these maids were only diminutive accessories to the event. After all, the main focus was the convention itself.

Keiichi Amakura (Male, age 17) had just passed under the red banner and made his way to the main square. He unfolded his crumpled "AMG International Map and Program Guide" which had been partially sabotaged by the constant pushing and shoving of all the attendees. Contradictory to the cold weather, sweat was already eminent on his face. Like the rest of the others, he and his friend, Ryou Sasaki (Male, age 17), had been waiting outside the gates before the sun had even risen. However, even when they did arrive (Ryou assumed their arrival to be around 5:20), thousands of people were already in line. These people sure have no lives, Keiichi thought. Surprisingly, he wasn't much of an otaku himself. Sure, he would read the occasional _Shounen Ace# _or_Comptiq#_, or scan through a manga or two if he had idle time at the bookstore near his school, but no one would ever consider him to be a fanatic. Then why come to an anime convention? That was a question even he would've asked himself. Ryou claimed to be one of the special winners of a contest held on-line, and somehow he managed to receive two premiere tickets, which allowed access to exclusive events. When Keiichi asked why, his friend merely laughed and boasted about how he hacked the site and changed the list of winners so that both Keiichi's and his own name appeared on it. Of course, no one knew if this was a lie or not, simply because Ryou always seemed like he was joking. He _was_ a hacker though, even though few (including Keiichi) knew about this clandestine hobby of his. The less they knew, the better, as he would say.

In any case, Keiichi ended up following his friend in the end so the ticket wouldn't go to waste. If he wasn't at this convention, he'd have most likely stayed home or refined his kendo talents. In the end, he believed there was nothing to lose. It was just a convention. A day of anime, manga, and game fandom, surrounded with a variety of otaku dressed for the occasion. He had to come dressed as well. Ryou had brought with him two cosplay outfits: one for Keiichi and one for himself. As for Keiichi, he still looked ordinary. The cosplay on him consisted of a collared shirt covered by a dark and unsaturated blazer, and matching slacks. In other words, a typical school uniform (Apparently that was the outfit of the main male protagonist from _Axis Mundi_). On the other hand, Ryou came dressed in a traditional Japanese kimono, in an attempt to be Nozomu Itoshiki from _Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei#_. He even had the glasses.

"Hey, Keiichi." It was Ryou's voice.

"Yeah?"

"Is there anything interesting in the Program Guide? Any new Guests of Honor on the list?" Ryou was a hardcore fanatic when it came to meeting his beloved idols. In previous conventions, he had met with some, including Shinichiro Miki and Tomokazu Seki. This time, one of his goals was to have Minoru Shiraishi (who was scheduled to appear at AMGI) sign an autograph for him.

Keiichi shrugged slightly. "Uh, I'm not sure. Aya Hirano's on the list. Same with Norio Wakamoto.#"

"They've been listed on the main website for months now." Ryou distorted his face as if he was disgusted.

"I'm not like you, you know. I don't refresh the AMGI web page all day until the webmaster updates."

"Come on, I'm not that much of an idiot. That's what RSS Feeds are for."

"Sure, okay." Whatever they were, Keiichi didn't necessarily care. He could live without having Ryou's computer language spread onto him. "Oh, the guide says there's a maid café."

"Convention cafés aren't nearly as good as regular ones." He peered over Ryou's shoulder, trying to read the text. "A-ha!" He hastily pointed to the headline with blocky letters entitled "ATTENTION: WINNERS OF THE AMGI 2008 CONTEST!". "Keiichi, read that."

"'Kay. 'The following event is exclusive to the winners of the AMG International 2008 Contest. For those winners, please come to the Exhibit Hall A at roughly 3:00 PM. Our cute and lively A-tan (one of the three mascots of this convention) will be hosting this and she will be giving you the details of what'll be happening. But don't miss out! (Keiichi said this in a sarcastic tone) We're scheduling priceless prizes to be rewarded, and it's a one-in-a-lifetime opportunity!'" He smiled in a fake manner.

"Man, let's go!" Ryou looked confident. "I know sometimes these events end up being horribly set up, but I was browsing some Internet forums and there have been rumors saying that the all of the Guests of Honor will be present there. And one of the administrators on the site hinted that there would be constructed replicas of certain anime places like _Bleach's_ Seireitei. He never mentioned how big they were going to be, but we'll just have to see." Keiichi had never seen him that excited for a show or program; or whatever it was.

"And when do we want to go?"

"Right now!"

Raising his eyebrow, he asked, "…Wait, now? It's only…-" He glanced at his watch for reference. "…It's only 8:23, Ryou. We have around five hours to spare."

"Trust me, if they're giving out prizes… 'Unique prizes' as they said,… We're just going to have to get them before they run out. Or in other words, we need to get them first. Let's go." Without any hesitation, he darted forward towards the southern building. It was at this point that Keiichi knew that there was no stopping him. Reluctantly, he followed alongside him. Hey, it was either waiting in another line wasting time with a friend, or being lost in a center filled with rabid strangers, he thought. He decided against the latter. At least, this time.

Within a minute, the two entered the large building. The atrium inside looked almost like a mansion. The design was modernized so several features of it displayed glass, tinted in light shades of blue, and flawlessly buffed metal. While Keiichi seemed rather impressed by the architect's work (These kinds of people have to be commended once in awhile), Ryou did not so much as glance at anything other than what was in the direction he was going.

Finally, some words came out of his mouth. "You see that over there? That's the Artist's Alley#. It's crowded over there but the Exhibit Hall we're going to is a little past that area. Just make sure you don't lose me and get caught in the whole mess." Merely listening to his words made Keiichi think to himself. If he knows so much about this place, then why didn't he ever try to be a guide here? He might get paid some money.

It was no wonder that the Artist's Alley was so crowded. The path was narrow due to the plethora of tables, arranged in tight rows. The massive congregation of people resulted in pushing and shoving others out of their way in order to continue to their destination. This proved rather unpleasant. In an attempt to keep up with his friend, he was almost crushed by a corpulent man. There was a thick rancidity of body odor covering this area as well. Apparently, some otaku set the attendance of this convention at a higher priority than cleanliness. The artists sat in their chairs, observing the crowd and hoping that at least one of them might stop and glance at their work. One man wearing a happi# coat (it looked like it was customized for an anime series) fanned himself. Sweat was pouring down his face and he looked fatigued. The populous multitude of people lessened as Keiichi progressed to a more open area. Fortunately, Ryou signaled to him with a short wave of his hand, and thus they were reunited again. If he knew walking through a convention would be so strenuous, Keiichi probably would've stayed home.

Finally, they had approached a sign labeled "Exhibit Hall A". A single door was opened next to it, and a young girl dressed in a red vest with a nameplate and the AMGI logo accompanied it. She grasped a clipboard with a single paper on it.

"Hey, Miss. Is the seating open yet?" That was Ryou.

"Yes." Her head tilted slightly as if to bow. "Please present some sort of identification and your ticket."

Ryou smiled as if something was on his mind. "Sure." He grabbed his passport and ticket and handed it to her. Keiichi followed suit.

After a few glances at their items, she looked down at her clipboard and made two marks somewhere with a pen.

"Please sit yourself down and enjoy." She made a slow gesture with her hand and turned away.

Inside, around twenty people had already been seated. The room was rather small, especially for an Exhibit Hall. There were around fifty metal chairs places in rows of ten and they faced towards a simple stage with a wooden podium and table attached. Two seats in the front, center row were left vacant so the boys rushed over there to occupy the section. Keiichi sat on the right because it was the closer seat. Exhausted, he realized why that man in the Artist's Alley looked tired. Hopefully, this "special event" wouldn't include too much exercise; he was satisfied with the amount he had today. Although he could hear slightly heavy breathing from him, Ryou didn't seem as phased. He had already set up his laptop and occupied himself with a danmaku#. Various others behind him tried to view the screen, murmuring silently. Perhaps they were having a debate on what series he was playing (Keiichi could never tell the difference between danmaku. To him, _Ikaruga_and_Phantasmagoria of Flower View _were the same games.).

Keiichi heard a quiet cough from the side of him. A pale girl with short, dark-blue hair was slightly bent over with her thin fingers weakly covering her mouth, trying to suppress her coughing fit. She was wearing a solid black kimono, as if she was symbolizing the embodiment of the dead. He wanted to ask if she was all right, but he refrained. Was this event so important to her? He wondered. Just go back to your house and rest! Rest. He had an incredible amount of time to spare, so why not take the opportunity and sleep the fatigue off? Ryou would wake him up if he overslept anyway, so it would be fine. With little hesitation (He worried about the girl on the side), his eyes grew heavy, and soon he had fallen asleep.

"Hey!"

Keiichi woke up from a nudge on his left side.

"Wake up, I think it's starting now."

His eyes still blurred from the fatigue, he tried to focus on what was happening. Ryou was no longer using his laptop, which made Keiichi suggest that he had replaced it back in its case. On the stage were several people, including the girl who had looked at their identification and tickets (She seemed to be conversing with the others on stage). A relatively small girl (Why is she there?), a modest-looking boy, five identically costumed people, a middle-aged man, and a row of security officers were also present. It was only a moment before the boy and small girl sat down at the table, who then continued to talk amongst each other. The man proceeded to the microphone, causing the audience to quell their banter.

Clearing his throat, he then announced. "It seems all of the winners are present, and there's still an hour before the program is scheduled to commence. Why don't we start this show right away then?" Loud cheers of excitement were heard from the crowd. Looking around, Keiichi noticed that all of the chairs were occupied now. Was I really asleep for that long?

"That's the spirit! Then I'll leave it to A-tan to do the rest." More cheers were heard. One shrill voice screamed "A-tan, you're my favorite!"

An awkward silence followed.

"A-tan?"

"What?" The girl spoke in an irregularly high voice.

"We're starting."

"Oh, we are? I didn't even get to prepare- Ah, ah- Hello, everyone!" She flailed her arms about, which were completely covered by her oversized costume. If you're trying to mimic _Lucky Channel#_, you're sure doing a good job, Keiichi thought. "I'm your host, Anime Aki#! Pleased to meet you, everyone I hope everyone has had rest and is prepared for this event!" _She_sure had enough. Anyone who could act that hyper must have had an entire week to hibernate. Another ten seconds was sacrificed for the audience's cheers. Is A-tan that special? She's just a little girl.

"Thank you for the applause; ah- thank you, everybody. Please let me tell a bit about the event. You are all winners of the AMGI 2008 Contest, and we have carefully chosen you all specifically so we could make the most out of the event. And all of you who are wondering what it is, I shall tell you!" She faced towards the line of security and made a slight nod. The officers repeated the gesture and began walking towards the doors around the room, standing guard. Keiichi felt a tinge of suspicion. Everyone else was focused intently on their little idol, completely ignoring the other occurrences. Something wasn't right…

This "A-tan" interrupted his thoughts. "Well, everybody. I am glad to inform you that you will all participate in a contest of strategy, talent, and more! It might be difficult, but let's just see what will happen! For those who want a name, we call it 'Cosplay Royale'! In other words, a battle to the death!"

She isn't serious. It's just a matter of figurative language, right? She's smiling while she's saying this…

There was slight laughter amongst the crowd. He heard Ryou laugh as well, although he had uneasy breathing.

"Eh? Are you excited for the event or do you think I'm joking…? If you would like me to show you how serious I am, then I can demonstrate this event! Um, Mr. Tanaka?" The boy sitting at the table perked his head up. He was dressed as a Naruto character, although Keiichi couldn't specify who. He wore a thick green jacket, and a blue headband with a gleaming metal plate was tied to his forehead. His short hair was light-colored and soft, and his young face felt the grace of innocence.

"Miss Su- Uh-uh- I mean, A-tan? What is it?" He seemed aflutter, somewhat.

"Do you have any weapons with you?"

"Um… N-no… Why?"

"Everyone! Like I said, this is a battle to the death. You will all be fighting each other until only one is left. Let's call it a true example of Charles Darwin's theory… a live representation of his idea for the survival of the fittest! So please be prepared so you don't end up like this!" She winked and a larger grin spread across her deceiving face, while she pulled something from under the table. Its exposed metal glimmered due to the reflection of the lights above, but the glare did not confuse the eyes of Keiichi. He, as well as many others, knew what it was. And even those who could not see it, they would have to wait and recognize it by its sound instead. She extended the arm holding the object and pointed the barrel at the boy, whose body was quaking in the overwhelming fear of callowness and regret. There was a vast stillness until a single, stentorian blast disrupted it, followed by a short scream in the background. The chair supporting the boy collapsed, and his heavy, lifeless body, fell to the ground. Dark, red liquid consumed his jacket's original color. He was motionless, his light hair becoming tainted with the destruction of purity.

He was dead.

The semi-automatic Smith & Wesson .45 pistol lowered due to the owner's perverse satisfaction. Its job was finished. "You see? This may happen to you if you're not prepared!" A-tan's concerned expression looked so fake, it infuriated Keiichi.

"What the hell?!"

"This… This isn't possible!"

"A-tan, why?!"

Useless, indignant howls filled the room. Others remained silent and preoccupied, trying find a reason to this seemingly distorted reality. A few smiled.

**1 employee dead; 50 attendees remaining**

**---------------------------------------------------------**

**Footnotes:**

# Tokyo Big Sight - also known as the "Tokyo International Exhibition Center"; the largest convention in Tokyo, located in Tokyo Bay's Odaiba  
# "Welcome back, Master" - a common phrase used by maids, especially in maid cafés  
# _Shounen Ace_ - a popular manga magazine published by Kadokawa Shoten  
# _Comptiq_ - a Japanese computer game magazine published by Kadokawa Shoten that serializes various manga  
# _Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei_ - an anime series that was aired in 2007  
# "Shinichiro…Wakamoto" - several famous Japanese voice actors and actresses  
# Artist's Alley - a place where amateur artists sell their work; commonly found in conventions  
# happi - a traditional Japanese, straight-sleeved coat  
# danmaku - intense, shoot 'em up videogames in which the entire screen is often almost completely filled with enemy bullets

# _Lucky Channel_ - the last part of each episode for the anime Lucky Star  
# Anime Aki - Since her name begins with "A", she is therefore called "A-tan" as a nickname.


End file.
